There is a general perception that she frequently shows a disconnect between her words and actions compared to the reality that Oaklanders experience. That the mayor has an apparent reputation for dodging any explanation seems to reinforce the belief that she has been reluctant to accept responsibility and accountability as mayor for any misinformation, hyperbole and "bad math."

This has resulted in a non-leadership managerial style best expressed by: "The buck never stops at my desk." The credibility gap that you mentioned in the editorial appears to be growing because of her deliberate actions. If this is the case, why would voters want to re-elect her?

Frank Price, Berkeley

Think last year was hot?

Though we in the Bay Area have been spared much of the misery felt by other regions of the country, the fact that 2012 was the hottest year in recorded American history does not come as a surprise to those following climate science and news ("Effects of warming hit U.S. faster than forecast," Jan. 12).

As scientists have predicted for several decades, if America and the world continued to emit record levels of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, temperatures will continue to rise and bring with them increasingly variable and extreme weather. We have seen these predictions come to life in numerous forms, including the devastating Midwest drought and Superstorm Sandy, where warmer seas were a factor in its ferocity.

I urge California's representatives to support legislation for fees on carbon-based fuels in which revenues would be distributed equally to all Americans. This market-based approach holds the most promise to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in an equitable and fair manner.

Michael Konwiak, San Francisco

Fracking can be done safely

The Chronicle's recent editorial "California faces a drilling dilemma on fracking" (Insight, Jan. 6) correctly noted that California will still need oil and gas for many years and that hydraulic fracturing is a promising technology creating jobs across the country.

But the editorial also included inaccurate statements that, left unchallenged, will make it harder to create those jobs here in California.

Hydraulic fracturing is not largely unregulated. Fracturing doesn't happen in isolation, it happens inside oil and gas wells, and the construction of those wells is strictly regulated in California. State regulators have proposed expanding these regulations to include new hydraulic fracturing disclosure requirements, a move the industry supports.

The proposed disclosure regulation is not weak. Almost identical requirements were adopted in Colorado just over a year ago, with the endorsement of many environmental groups. In fact, San Francisco-based Earthjustice called Colorado's regulation one of the strongest in the country because it provides a full picture of what's in that fracking fluid.

Finally, calling hydraulic fracturing potentially dangerous is alarmist and unsupported by the facts. According to President Obama's interior secretary, Ken Salazar, while there has been a lot of hysteria about hydraulic fracturing, it can be done safely and has been done safely hundreds of thousands of times.